The Routledge History of Madness and Mental Health explores the
history and historiography of madness from the ancient and medieval
worlds to the present day. Global in scope, it includes case studies
from Africa, Asia, and South America as well as Europe and North
America, drawing together the latest scholarship and source material in
this growing field and allowing for fresh comparisons to be made across
time and space.
Thematically organised and written by leading academics, chapters
discuss broad topics such as the representation of madness in literature
and the visual arts, the material culture of madness, the perpetual
difficulty of creating a classification system for madness and mental
health, madness within life histories, the increased globalisation of
knowledge and treatment practices, and the persistence of spiritual and
supernatural conceptualisations of experiences associated with madness.
This volume also examines the challenges involved in analysing primary
sources in this area and how key themes such as class, gender, and race
have influenced the treatment and diagnosis of madness throughout
history.
Chronologically and geographically wide-ranging, and providing a
fascinating overview of the current state of the field, this is
essential reading for all students of the history of madness, mental
health, psychiatry, and medicine.
